10/10/18 Cook’s Corner
Betty Kaiser
Roast chicken is all the rage these days. One night I was watching a re-run of Dr. Oz. He and his nutrition experts were discussing if already cooked super-market chickens were a healthy choice for dinner. The all-around consensus was yes, they are healthy to eat because they are mostly chicken with very little other added ingredients. Yea!
I think that the most interesting factoid of their conversation was how many chickens are sold every day in the USA. Dr. Oz said that there are more than 5 million whole chickens sold daily. Then, I read that there are 60 million of the famous Costco rotisserie chickens sold every year. The statistics are mind boggling. Who knew?
Once upon a time, chicken was a Sunday supper treat. Now it appears that if you have $4.99 in your pocket you can eat it every day. I don’t know why that is so shocking to me. But it is. Poor chickens! Honestly, I got depressed reading the statistics. If I wasn’t so set in my ways I would become a vegetarian!
However, I know that we’re not going to change. We eat so much chicken at our house that I cluck when I walk. One of the reasons, as mentioned above, is that chicken is a healthy protein. Another reason is its versatility. One whole chicken can serve 2-3 people at least 3 meals. Chicken leftovers are a good thing. Here’s some ideas:
Meal one is a chicken dinner with mashed potatoes and gravy, vegetable and fruit salad. I either roast a whole chicken in the oven or cook it in a crockpot. I season it simply with Lawry’s salt and a little of my favorite herbs. If cooked in a crockpot, I always finish it off by putting it under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp up the skin.
Leftovers are often a chicken entrée for lunch. I do get tired of eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. A chicken salad with apples, walnuts and celery is a nice break. Quesadillas with a chicken, salsa and cream cheese filling are also quick and easy to prepare.
And I always save enough leftovers for some sort of soup or casserole. The sky’s the limit. It’s hard to beat a simple chicken and noodles dinner or even chicken chili. For soup, I try and keep the carcass in a plastic bag, boil it up with some onions, celery and seasonings. I debone the meat, discard the bones and combine it with whatever suits my fancy in the refrigerator.
The following couple of recipes are a little spicy and you may need to reduce the chili powder. Change them up to suit your family’s tastes. Also, remember that soup and chili recipes are not rocket science. Sometimes you have to taste and adjust spices and add more liquid. Serve with a favorite salad and a dinner roll. Enjoy!
SIMPLE MEXICAN-STYLE CHICKEN SOUP
1 cup chopped onion
1 red pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon paprika
5 cups chicken broth (I use reduced sodium)
1-1/2 cups favorite squash—winter, yellow, zucchini
1 large tomato (or 2 small), chopped
Garlic salt and pepper to taste
2 cups chicken, chopped
1 cup frozen corn
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, snipped
Heat oil in soup kettle. Add onion and pepper. Cook about 5 min. until tender, stirring as needed. Stir in cumin, chili powder and paprika; cook and stir briefly. Add broth, squash, tomato, salt and black pepper. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 20 min. or until squash is tender. Add water if needed. Stir in chicken, corn and cilantro; heat through and serve hot. Serves 3-4.
CROCKPOT CHICKEN FAJITA CHILI
2 cups (or more) chicken, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon fajita (or taco) seasoning
½ teaspoon cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 14-1/2 oz. cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can chicken broth
1 cup yellow, green and red sweet peppers, diced (your choice)
1 small onion, minced
1 15-ounce white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
In a medium bowl, combine chicken, chili powder, fajita seasoning, cumin and garlic; toss to mix. If chicken is raw, spray a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray and heat on medium high. Add chicken and brown slightly.
Place chicken in a crockpot. Add undrained tomatoes, chicken broth, peppers, onions and cannellini beans. Cover and simmer on low heat setting 4-5 hours or on high heat setting 2-3 hours. Add more liquid as needed. Can also be cooked on stovetop. Serves 4
Note: These recipes are adapted from Diabetic Living Quick and Easy Meals. I often substitute canned
chili beans and add tomato sauce and diced green chiles. Garnish as desired.
